The commercial drivers of health
This chapter explores how the food, alcohol, and tobacco industries serve as commercial drivers for ill health, and describes examples of legislation aimed at shifting the dial towards better outcomes for all. Companies, especially multinationals, influence our health in a number of ways, ranging from their effect on the physical environment to their influence on government policy and the marketing strategies they use to promote their products in search of profit. The increasing reach and power of multinationals across all industry sectors in recent years has led to an increase in the extent to which they shape our environments and health behaviours, and this relationship is only becoming more intertwined. Alongside governments and multinationals, ‘new power’—the combination of social movements, social media, and purpose—is already re-shaping the world around us, empowering citizens and giving us cause for optimism.